2 DAYS LEFT - Register for the San Francisco Mayoral Candidates Forum on March 1st

Bringing together thought leaders from City Hall and San Francisco businesses, the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce will host an exclusive networking reception prior to the Business Talks: San Francisco Mayoral Candidate Forum.

REGISTER HERE

This is an opportunity for BOMA members to network with the Who’s Who of the City and business community and get the inside scoop on the latest issues facing businesses in San Francisco. The reception will begin at 4 p.m. in the recently renovated Green Room at the War Memorial Veteran’s Building with appetizers and beverages provided by McCalls Catering & Events.

San Francisco is at a crossroads, with residents deeply concerned about issues such as homelessness, cost of living, traffic congestion and housing. The next Mayor of San Francisco could set the City’s priorities for the next 10 years. Join us to hear from candidates how they will face the most pressing challenges facing San Francisco employers and employees. At the forum will be mayoral candidates: Angela Alioto, London Breed, Richie Greenberg, Jane Kim and Mark Leno.

Tickets: $50 

Join the Smart Energy Analytics Campaign

The Smart Energy Analytics Campaign is a program led by the U.S. Department of Energy that encourages the use of a wide variety of commercially available Energy Management and Information Systems (EMIS) technologies and ongoing monitoring practices to help uncover those energy-saving opportunities and improve building performance for the long run.

Facility managers, energy managers, and operators of commercial buildings across the country are collaborating with utilities, product and service providers through this members-only network of peer-to-peer exchange, with access to experts who can tailor technical support to meet the needs of your buildings.

Why join the Smart Energy Analytics Campaign?

Are you making the most of your meter data? The Smart Energy Analytics Campaign can provide information and connections to key findings and best practices, to help your organization cut through the complexity of EMIS options. The campaign is designed to get you started on the path to ongoing monitoring and analytics.

Please click here for more information.

The East Cut Community Benefit District in San Francisco - Services Available to BOMA Members

Community Benefit Districts (CBDs) in San Francisco strive to improve the overall quality of life in targeted commercial districts and mixed-use neighborhoods through a partnership between the City and local communities. In California, CBDs are also known as Business Improvement Districts. Once an area has voted to establish a CBD, local property owners are levied a special assessment to fund improvements to their neighborhood. The funds are administered by a non-profit organization established by the neighborhood.

About The East Cut Community Benefit District

The East Cut encompasses the Rincon Hill and Transbay areas. These neighborhoods are transitioning from primarily commercial-industrial use into the City's new downtown - an energetic mix of sleek residential and commercial towers, historic properties repurposed for modern living and working, small businesses and corporate headquarters, and new parks and greenspaces anchored by the "Grand Central Station of the West": the Transbay Transit Center and its 5.4 acre rooftop park. The Greater Rincon Hill Community Benefit District is currently the City's largest special assessment district with over 3,300 parcels.

In 2017, the governing board of the Community Benefit District unanimously voted to rename the CBD to The East Cut Community Benefit District in an effort to be inclusive of all neighborhoods within its service area.

Services Provided

The East Cut Community Benefit District crew provides cleaning and beautification including:
sidewalk sweeping, power washing, graffiti abatement, topping off City trashcans, sidewalk tree pruning, weeding sidewalk tree basins, and spot cleaning health hazards.

The East Cut CBD works to connect homeless individuals to services, and acts as the eyes and ears for the neighborhood. It is also the only district in the city with 24/7 neighborhood security in the public realm.

These services are paid for by property owners in the District through an annual assessment.

Interested in learning more about The East Cut CBD services? Email them at info@theeastcut.org and they can arrange a time to conduct a services walk-through at your property. If you are unsure if your building is within The East Cut District boundaries and would like to know more details, feel free to contact us to learn more.

UPDATE: San Francisco's Better Market Street Project - New Design Concept Public Meetings on March 10th and 14th

UPDATE - February 20, 2018

Better Market Street will address the City's imminent need to restore aging infrastructure on Market Street, while redesigning the boulevard to meet 21st-century standards. The multi-agency proposal aims to transform 2.2 miles of Market Street – from Octavia Boulevard to the Embarcadero – improving safety and accessibility, providing faster and reliable bus and streetcar service, and enhancing the streetscape and public realm. 

Using your feedback from prior rounds of public outreach, the City has developed a new design concept. Join them to learn more and share your thoughts.

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UPDATE - September 29, 2017

BOMA San Francisco's Government Affairs Policy Advisory Committee (GAPAC) held a briefing for members recently on the progress of the Better Market Street Project. 

As you may know, long-time BOMA leader, Kathy Mattes, has been monitoring the planning of this massive undertaking and suggested that we hold this gathering to inform BOMA members along Market Street - and adjacent streets - of the substantial changes that the City and County of San Francisco has planned for The City's main thoroughfare. 

It was a pleasure to welcome back Simon Bertrang, Project Manager for the Better Market Street Project. It was very informative and I encourage any BOMA member on Market, Mission and connecting streets to get involved to make sure your property's interests are heard.

Please click here to view/download Simon Bertrang’s presentation (thank you Simon!). Click here to learn more about this project and how you can get involved. 

Questions? Please contact John Bozeman, BOMA San Francisco's Director of Government and Industry Affairs at johnb@boma.com.

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UPDATE - December 30, 2015

This weekend, San Francisco Public Works and the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency will be performing a truck-mounted Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) survey of Market Street. This visual mapping survey is the first step in detailing design work for the Better Market Street project. The Departments will gather accurate information on the exact locations of features and utilities on Market Street – curbs, BART portals, light poles, building facades, trees, fire hydrants, sidewalk and street elevations and more -- that will enable them to move from conceptual to detailed designs and then on to construction.

They attempted to conduct this survey last November, but unexpected rain delayed the scan. 

The LiDAR survey will take place in the early morning hours of Sunday, January 3, 2016. To ensure an accurate and complete survey, please help us spread this important information about traffic restrictions and the Better Market Street LiDAR survey:

• The survey will take place between 3:00 a.m. – 5:00 a.m. on Sunday, Jan. 3, 2016.
• Stopping or parking on Market Street and the adjacent side streets is prohibited between midnight and 6:00 a.m. to ensure the street is clear for the survey. Tow-away signs have been posted.
• The survey truck will run along Market Street between Guerrero Street and Steuart Street four times in order to get an accurate representation of all the features. 
• The truck also will measure the street features along all the side streets in the project area.
• There are temporary tow-away signs posted along Market Street and in zones along all the cross streets in the vicinity so that vehicles don’t block the view of the curb. PLEASE OBEY THE TEMPORARY TOW-AWAY SIGNS. 
• The LiDAR truck will be escorted by a police motorcade as it cannot stop along Market Street for any reason as that will distort the data collection.
• Traffic on the cross streets will be momentarily stopped and required to wait up to 2 minutes while the survey motorcade passes. 
• The curb lanes will be momentarily closed due to the survey motorcade. Traffic in the curb lane will be shifted to the center lane as the survey motorcade passes. 
• Private cars, taxis, commercial vehicles, and bicyclists are encouraged to use adjacent parallel streets such as Mission Street during these pre-dawn hours. 
• The LiDAR truck will run against the flow of traffic in two of its four runs, so PLEASE STAY ALERT AND DRIVE SLOWLY.
• The SFMTA signal shop will place all traffic signals on Market Street between Guerrero and Steuart onto flashing red for all directions for everyone’s safety.

The LiDAR survey method is a quick, efficient, non-invasive surveying technique that is used around the world. The LiDAR method was chosen to get accurate information while minimizing travel impacts on one of the City’s busiest corridors. 

Stay tuned for more information on the status of the Better Market Street project and next steps on the project page here.

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UPDATE - November 14, 2015

The LiDAR scan has been postponed until early December. There is a 100% chance of rain during the Sunday early morning hours that San Francisco staff members had planned to run the survey motorcade up and down Market Street. The team can’t get the information they need in the rain.

The San Francisco Department of Public Works and the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency are going to be taking down all of the NO STOPPING signs so that they don't impact loading and parking unnecessarily.

Click here for an article regarding the survey from the San Francisco Chronicle. 

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UPDATE - November 12, 2015

This weekend, San Francisco Department of Public Works and the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency will be performing a truck-mounted Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) survey of Market Street. This visual mapping survey is the first step in detailing design work for the Better Market Street project. The Departments will gather accurate information on the exact locations of features and utilities on Market Street – curbs, BART portals, light poles, building facades, trees, fire hydrants, sidewalk and street elevations, and more -- that will enable them to move from conceptual to detailed designs and then on to construction.

The LiDAR survey will take place in the early morning hours of Sunday, Nov. 15, 2015. 

To ensure an accurate and complete survey, here is important information about traffic restrictions and the Better Market Street LiDAR survey: 

• The survey will take place between 3:00 a.m. – 5:00 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 15. 
• Stopping or parking on Market Street and the adjacent side streets is prohibited between 1:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. to ensure the street is clear for the survey. Tow-Away signs have been posted. 
• The survey truck will run along Market Street between Octavia Boulevard and Steuart Street four times in order to get an accurate representation of all the features. 
• The truck also will measure the street features along all the side streets in the project area.
• There are Temporary Tow-Away signs posted along Market Street and in zones along all the cross streets in the vicinity so that vehicles don’t block the view of the curb. PLEASE OBEY THE TEMPORARY TOW-AWAY SIGNS. 
• The LiDAR truck will be escorted by a police motorcade as it cannot stop along Market Street for any reason, since that will distort the data collection. 
• The center lanes of Market Street will remain open to all vehicle traffic including commercial and private vehicles, transit and taxis. The curb lanes will be closed due to the survey motorcade. 
• The LiDAR truck will run against the flow of traffic in two of its four runs, so PLEASE STAY ALERT AND DRIVE SLOWLY. 
• The SFMTA signal shop will place all 26 traffic signals on Market Street onto flashing red for everyone’s safety and the safety of the LiDAR truck and police motorcade. 
• Bicycle riders are encouraged to take alternate routes. 

The LiDAR survey method is a quick, efficient, non-invasive surveying technique that is used around the world. The LiDAR method was chosen to get accurate information while minimizing travel impacts on one of the City’s busiest corridors.

Stay tuned for more information on the status of the Better Market Street project and next steps on their project page here.

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UPDATE - September 15, 2014

BOMA SF-PAC Chair and Better Market Street BOMA member lead, Kathy Mattes 

On September 10, 2014, BOMA San Francisco's Government Affairs and Policy Advisory Committee (GAPAC) member (and BOMA SF-PAC Chair) Kathy Mattes led a discussion for BOMA San Francisco building owners and managers regarding the City and County of San Francisco's Better Market Street Project (BMS). As detailed in our previous blog posts, below, the BMS is a monumental effort to help make San Francisco's Market Street a more welcoming public space and effective transit corridor.

BMS Project Mangers Simon Bertrang and Britt Tanner

The scope this undertaking stretches from, primarily, Market and Mission Streets from the Embarcadero to Octavia Boulevard.  As such, numerous BOMA San Francisco building owners along or adjacent to the project area will be impacted.  This briefing was the first official BMS update to this BOMA member constituency.

The three primary elements to the BMS presentation were:

• Market Street Design
• Vehicular Restrictions
• Loading

Each of these aspects have proposed changes and require your review and feedback.  Please click here to review the BMS presentation and send your feedback to Kathy Mattes at kamattes@sbcglobal.net.

BMS Project Timeline

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Mechanics Monument Plaza gets an upgrade

UPDATE - June 17, 2014

Did you know that Kathy Mattes, BOMA San Francisco's Political Action Committee Chair and member of our Government Affairs Committee, is the BOMA representative for the Better Market Street Community Advisory Committee?

Kathy has offered her time to attend a series of meetings to be sure that our member interests - specifically those building owners along Market Street - have a voice in the planning process.  Any updates from Kathy will be delivered to you via future blog posts.

If you happen to work near Mechanics Monument Plaza, take a look at the improvements (see image above) to the public amenities - including a charging station for your electronic gadgets!

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UPDATE - December 6, 2013

The BOMA members from the Government and Public Affairs Committee (GAPAC) met recently with Simon Bertrang, Project Manager for the Better Market Street (BMS) project; Kelli Rudnick, BMS Assistant Project Manager; and, Marlo Issac, Market Street Project Manager with the San Francisco Planning Department.

The presentation included the following BMS updates:

• Schedule
• Environmental review 2013-2015 
• Design 2015-2017
• Construction 2017
• Design Concepts
• There are three options that will be going into the environmental review process.
• All options include substantial improvements to pedestrian conditions, cycling facility, transit service and stops, invitations for street life, various levels of private car restrictions.
• Project Area Limits

• Market Streets from the Embarcadero to Octavia Street.
• Also includes Mission Street from Van Ness to the Embarcadero.
• Pedestrian Improvements
• Transit & Bicycling Improvements
• The Six Market Street Districts
• Click on the image at right to enlarge.
• Next Steps
• CEQA and NEPA Process formal start in January 2014
• Analyze potential environmental impacts 
• Disclose impacts for public review 
• Support policy decision 
• Proposed Project will include all 3 Options:
• Boost Transit Travel Speeds and Reliability 
• This includes studying the option of loading zone time of day restrictions
• Transportation Task Force Funding
• Federal Transportation Funding 
• Improve Pedestrian Safety 
• Add Bicycle Capacity 
• Build Civic Destination 
• Activate Streetlife Zones and Plazas.
• Make Your Market Street

• Goal: Open Market Street to new use by the public by bringing new activity, energy and people to Market Street’s sidewalks.
• The City wants to partner with Community Benefit Districts (CBD)to support creative/ innovative/commercial/public use of the sidewalks.
• The new Make Your Market Street team is now working with a number of CBDs that border Market Street to help with the development of the BMS endeavor, specifically the major plazas along the thoroughfare.

The information exchange at this meeting was invaluable.  BOMA San Francisco members will be involved in the BMS project via the Better Market Street Community Advisory Committee and Make Your Market Street effort representing the Financial District section of Market Street.  If you're interested in participating in the Community Advisory Committee, please click here to submit your application by January 8, 2014.  

Click here to review the full presentation and email johnb@boma.com with any questions.

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Original Post - October 30, 2012

The BOMA San Francisco Government and Public Affairs Committee (GAPAC) met recently with Kris Opbroek, Project Manager for the Better Market Street project. Note that multiple San Francisco City Departments are a part of this update to Market Street.

BOMA members would like to be continue to be a partner with the Better Market Street team in helping to identify the best practices to improving Market Street and help find solutions to issues of concern going forward. Special thanks to GAPAC Department/Commission Outreach Subcommittee Chair, Warren Mead for organizing this meeting.

Discussion Points

This a long-term project (breaking ground in 2016, at the earliest), and BOMA members discussed near-term concerns for the various department staff to consider as they move forward in the information gathering phase of this effort:

• The homeless population. How can you improve Market Street (adding parklets, nodes and general public gathering spaces) without considering the existing homeless population? 
• Impact of future design and construction on the ground-floor businesses that line and/or are immediately adjacent to Market Street. 
• Maintenance costs after build out – who pays? 
• All forms of conveyance should be considered when improving Market Street.  North/south travel across Market should be carefully reviewed. 
• Continuous outreach to the business community and other stakeholder groups to be sure that the City understands the issues of concern before final design consideration and construction. 

BOMA San Francisco members live and/or work in the City and County of San Francisco and they care deeply about improving the social and economic prospects for all San Franciscans. To help Market Street should not only benefit our members; the improvements should be a boon to all who work, live and visit this great city.

We look forward to working with Kris as this project moves forward. If you have any comments, please send them to wmead@lucasfilm.com and johnb@boma.com.

Central SoMa Plan Legislative Package Available for Review - March 1st Planning Commission Hearing

The legislative package for the Central SoMa Plan is now available for review here. 

The legislative package includes the proposed Central SoMa Area Plan and other affiliated changes to the City’s General Plan. It also includes proposed amendments to the City’s Planning Code and Zoning Maps, as well as other documents that would help implement the Plan, including the $2 billion public benefits program, as well as guidance for design of new buildings and redesign of the neighborhood’s streets. Finally, for those of you who have been following this Plan closely, it includes a series of documents that detail how it has evolved since the release of the 2016 Draft Plan (so that you do not have to try to figure it out yourselves).

On Thursday, March 1st this legislative package will be before the Planning Commission for their “Initiation,” which is the first legal step necessary to turn this proposal into law. The meeting will be at City Hall in Room 400. The hearing starts at 1PM – though please check the Planning Commission’s agenda the Monday before the hearing to get a sense of where this item is in the calendar. If Initiation occurs on March 1st then they would return to the Planning Commission no sooner than March 22nd to start having hearings about Plan adoption. As a reminder, this Plan will then require approval by the Board of Supervisors.

IMPORTANT - San Francisco's Accessible Business Entrance Program - BOMA MEMBER COMPLIANCE REQUIRED

UPDATE - February 8, 2018

The Accessible Business Entrance program helps property owners comply with state and federal accessibility laws and helps people with disabilities gain greater access to goods and services offered by businesses in San Francisco. Passed by the Board of Supervisors in 2016 (Ordinance No. 51-16), the ordinance requires that existing buildings with a place of public accommodation have all primary entrances accessible for people with disabilities. 

Under state and federal law, a place of public accommodation is generally a business where the public will enter a building to obtain goods and services, such as banks, day care centers, hotels, offices, restaurants, retail stores, et cetera. 

Click here to review the details and compliance deadlines.

BOMA San Francisco's Codes and Regulations Committee will be holding a meeting with San Francisco Department of Building Inspection staff on February 28th at 12 Noon to discuss the requirements. Please email John Bozeman, BOMA San Francisco's Director of Government and Industry Affairs if you'd like to attend at johnb@boma.com.

BOMA MEMBER COMPLIANCE 

Compliance with this ordinance is ultimately the responsibility of the property owner. The ordinance is an addition to the San Francisco Building Code and the code only recognizes the owner of the structure. The ordinance, however, does state that it is not intended to interfere with any existing lease agreements between tenant and owner. If the owner has an existing agreement that the tenant shall pay for any accessible upgrades required, the ordinance does not nullify such agreements. It should be clarified, however, that the Department ultimately holds the property owner responsible for compliance.

If the tenant is determined to be responsible, the Department will ask the owner to consider that it may be to his or her advantage to assist in the cost of any remedial work because this ordinance may not have been foreseen by the tenant or owner when the lease agreement was signed.

NOTE: If the owner or tenant claimed and received an Unreasonable Hardship due to excessive cost, the determination of the Access Appeals Commission may include restrictions on the property that may affect what type of businesses are allowed to lease this property in the future without repairing the barriers to access.

FAQs

• Is my Building Exempt from the Ordinance?
• What are the Responsibilities of the Owner and Tenant?
• Steps to Comply with Program Requirements
• Other Resources

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UPDATE - September 29, 2017

Here are two important items to review regarding this ordinance that BOMA San Francisco members worked on with Supervisor Katy Tang in 2015 and 2016.

• San Francisco Department of Building Inspection (SFDBI) is the agency responsible for writing the guidelines regarding implementing this ordinance. The measure is detailed below or you can review the law by clicking here. According to SFDBI staff, draft guidelines are still in development. We'll alert you when that document is available. 
• Supervisor Tang has introduced a companion measure that would extend the compliance time frame for existing buildings owners.
• The time within which the owner of an existing building with a place of public accommodation has to comply with the mandatory disability access requirements as prescribed in the original ordinance for the primary entrance and path of travel into the building will be extended by one year. Also extended by one year is the time for the Department of Building Inspection to submit a written report to the Board and the six-year limitation on granting extensions of time to comply.
• Please click here to review the ordinance and email BOMA San Francisco's Director of Government and Industry Affairs, John Bozeman at johnb@boma.com if you have any questions. 

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Original Post - October 2, 2015

BOMA members have been monitoring legislation introduced by Supervisor Katy Tang: Mandatory Disability Access Improvements.

This ordinance, if passed, would relieve tenants of any responsibility for accessibility improvements or documentation establishing a technically infeasible situation or unreasonable hardship and place it squarely on the building owners.

Additionally, this legislation would establish a Disability Access Compliance Unit within the San Francisco Department of Building Inspection (SFDBI) to monitor this program, set fees to administer it, provide guidance and advice on specific situations, as well as issue determinations of technical infeasibility or unreasonable hardship.

Click here for the legislative digest.

Our Government Affairs Policy Analysis Committee (GAPAC) recently met with Supervisor Tang and here are the concerns our members have regarding the measure, as proposed:

• San Francisco Department of Building Inspection (SFDBI) Staffing
• Ordinance compliance by SFDBI might be an issue due to workflow demand increase if this measure were to pass.
• How can building owners be assured that the turnaround time will be a fast one?
• Lease Negotiation
• Our members are concerned that allowing SFDBI to be the arbiter of ADA issues in private buildings will impede the lease negotiation process. 
• This was also an issue in 2013 when we worked with then Supervisor David Chiu on his ADA legislation: http://bomasanfrancisco.blogspot.com/2013/01/update-disability-access-ada.html
• Note that the same suggestions our members had in 2013, below, apply to this proposal:
• Education 
• Commercial property owners provide an Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) disclosure to tenants/potential tenants to help educate them on the requirements of the ADA implications of non-compliance.
• Compliance 
• Allow a commercial property owner/tenant MORE time to correct primary entries/path of travel to ADA specific requirements in a tenant space. That is, set a due date for absolute compliance sometime farther into the future (e.g., 5-10 years) with a requirement to update primary entries/path of travel before the due date if new tenant occupies the space. 
• This suggestion was based on the San Francisco High Rise Sprinkler Ordinance passed in 1993 that had similar requirements for compliance with regard to sprinklers in high-rise buildings. 
• Lease Negotiation Process 
• Commercial property owners need to have the ability to negotiate the costs associated with any tenant improvement with the tenant. This includes any costs associated with ADA compliance. 
• Building Owner is Fully Responsible for ADA Repairs 
• From our GAPAC meeting, it’s clear this is a major source of contention with our small building owners. 
• As mentioned above, our members need to have the leeway to negotiate who pays for the tenant improvement. 
• Perhaps any mention of the owner paying for upgrades can be amended to include owner and/or lessee. 
• Technical Infeasibility 
• Readily achievable should be the term used - in other words, easily accomplished and able to be carried out without much difficulty or expense for the tenant/owner. 
• Post 2002 Building Exemption(Pg. 6; lines 11-15 – Chapter 11D; Sec. 1101D) 
• Building owner/owners authorized agent must provide a written notice of exemption that provides a construction permit application dates on or after January 1, 2002. 
• SFDBI should already have this information on file. 

As always, our members are appreciative of Supervisor Tang's early outreach to BOMA regarding this ordinance, and look forward to the continued discussion.

If you have concerns about this measure please email John M. Bozeman, BOMA San Francisco's Director of Government and Industry Affairs, at johnb@boma.com.

San Francisco Planning Department Launches Public Survey for the Civic Center Public Realm Plan - March 11, 2018 Deadline

The San Francisco Planning Department has launched a citywide survey seeking community feedback on potential design improvements to the Civic Center area. The survey is a component of the Civic Center Public Realm Plan, a citywide effort to develop a comprehensive, long-term vision for improvements to Civic Center’s plazas, streets, and other public spaces.

If you are a BOMA San Francisco member in or around the Civic Center area - Civic Center Plaza, United Nations Plaza and Fulton Street between Larkin and Hyde -  please take a moment to review the information below.

The primary goal of the Plan is to develop design and activation strategies that will help make Civic Center a more welcoming and inclusive public space for all San Franciscans. It will develop conceptual designs for Civic Center’s key public spaces – Civic Center Plaza, United Nations Plaza, and Fulton Street between Larkin and Hyde, and envision improvements to surrounding streets through improved pedestrian, transit, and bicycle facilities and streetscape amenities such as trees, paving and lighting. The project is an interagency effort managed by the San Francisco Planning Department, in partnership with San Francisco Public Works, San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, San Francisco Recreation & Parks, San Francisco Real Estate Division, San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, San Francisco Arts Commission, and the Office of Economic and Workforce Development.

The citywide survey is a digital adaptation of content and questions originally shared at the project’s first community workshop held in November 2017, and serves as a first step in the public realm plan design process in seeking community feedback on potential design improvements to the Civic Center area. Open to anyone with an interest in the future of the Civic Center’s public spaces and streets, responses from the survey will be used to help develop design alternatives for many Civic Center streets and public spaces. In spring of 2018, the City will host a second community workshop to share and get feedback on design alternatives.

The Civic Center Public Realm Plan Community Survey, available at www.civiccentersf.org, will be open through March 11, 2018. Paper versions and translated surveys are available upon request.

Bay Area Air Quality Management District - Charge! Grant Program Electric Vehicle Charging Stations

The Air District is pleased to announce the Charge! Program, an incentive program that offers grant funding to help offset a portion of the cost of purchasing and installing new publicly available electric vehicle, or EV, charging stations. An initial allocation of $5 million is available, and funding will be awarded to qualifying projects on a first-come, first-served basis. Applicants must be a business or organization, funded chargers must be publicly accessible (exemptions are available), and applicants must attend a pre-application workshop.

The deadline to apply is March 9, 2018. Application, registration for pre-application and details can be found on the Program website: www.baaqmd.gov/charge.

FEEDBACK REQUESTED: San Francisco's Transportation Sustainability Fee Increase for Commercial Projects Above 99,999 Gross Square Feet

UPDATE - February 5, 2017

District 3 Supervisor Aaron Peskin has introduced and ordinance that would amend the Planning Code to increase the Transportation Sustainability Fee (TSF) by $5 - from $19.04 to $24.04 for all non-residential commercial projects, except hospitals and health services, above 99,999 gross square feet. 

Click here to review the ordinance. Please email John M. Bozeman, BOMA San Francisco's Director of Government and Industry Affairs at johnb@boma.com with your feedback. 

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UPDATE - March 31, 2016

Recently, Mayor Ed Lee vetoed the Transportation Sustainability Fee (TSF) increase that passed the Board of Supervisors in February. Click here to read an article in the San Francisco Examiner that provides more details.

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UPDATE - February 29, 2016

BOMA San Francisco's Advocacy Team and members, along with the greater business community, continue to advocate for the commercial real estate industry's interest regarding the Transportation Sustainability Fee (TSF) increase.

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors have approved an amendment to the TSF, originally passed in December 2015. The amendment increases the TSF $2 to $21.04 per square foot for non-residential construction over 100,000 square feet, citywide.

The proposal requires one more vote by the Board and then it is sent to the Mayor for his consideration.

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UPDATE - December 16, 2015

At their December 8, 2015 meeting, a majority of San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted to amend the Transportation Sustainability Fee (TSF) and increase the number to $21.04 per square foot for non-residential square footage over 99,999. It would also require non-residential projects that submitted an application before July 21, 2015, but have not received final approval, to pay 50% of the difference between the TSF and the Transportation Impact Development Fee.

The legislation has been referred back to Land Use and Transportation Committee and your BOMA Advocacy team will continue to monitor the measure's progress.

Please email johnb@boma.com and kenc@boma.com with your questions or concerns.

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UPDATE - October 30, 2015

BOMA San Francisco members and staff continue to monitor this legislation.

A recent San Francisco Examiner article sums up the most recent discussion, earlier this month. At this point, it appears that commercial office developers with projects in excess of 100,000 square feet will see an increase of the fee from $18.04 to $19.04 per square foot.

Note that BOMA San Francisco's Government Affairs Committee members will meet with the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) staff in charge of implementing this fee and program, as well as SFMTA Director, Ed Reiskin. The meeting will take place on November 4th, at 12 noon.

Please email johnb@boma.com if you are interested in attending this important gathering.

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UPDATE - September 30, 2015

At a recent meeting of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors’ Land Use and Transportation Committee, there was a debate regarding the proposal to change the current Transit Impact Development Fee (TIDF) into a Transportation Sustainability Fee (TSF) and to apply it to all new developments except affordable housing projects.

The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) proposal would increase fees for a majority of new developments - including commercial projects where the fee would increase from $12.06 per square foot to $18.04 per square foot. Activists feel that this fee should be higher and the proposal incorporate other changes. 

The suggested amendments include reducing the discount for projects already underway and not allowing the SFMTA to specify that 60% of the proceeds from the new TSF go to maintenance of San Francisco's transit system. The SFMTA is concerned that raising these fees higher than proposed, both for commercial, residential, and other projects could stymie the growth in San Francisco.

If you have any questions or concerns, please email kenc@boma.com and johnb@boma.com. BOMA developer members have been asked to provide their thoughts and we would appreciate your feedback if you feel that any increase in the TSF than what is proposed by the SFMTA, below, would affect your project - or future projects - adversely.

The SFMTA proposal will be heard again at the San Francisco Board of Supervisors’ Land Use and Transportation Committee on October 5th.

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Original Post - September 24, 2015

BOMA staff met recently with representatives from the City and County of San Francisco regarding the upcoming Transportation Sustainability Program (TSP) and Transportation Sustainability Fee (TSF). 

The Transportation Sustainability Program is about keeping people moving as the City grows. Smart planning and investment will help ensure that San Franciscans are able to arrive safer and more comfortably at their destinations now and in the future.  

The proposed Transportation Sustainability Fee will help fund upcoming transportation changes (see below) by:

• Creating a citywide transportation fee on new development;
• Update to existing Transportation Impact Development Fee (TIDF) – expands applicability to include market-rate residential development and certain large institutions.

What Will the TSP Do?

The Transportation Sustainability Program is made up of three components:

• Enhance Transportation to Support Growth
• Fund citywide transportation improvements, like more Muni buses and trains, to help accommodate new residents and jobs. Find out more.
• Modernize Environmental Review
• Make the review process align with the City’s longstanding environmental policies by changing how we analyze the impacts of new development on the transportation system under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The new practices will be more reliable and emphasize travel options that create less traffic. Find out more.
• Encourage Sustainable Travel
• Make it easier for new residents, visitors and workers to get around through methods other than driving alone by integrating environmentally friendly travel into new developments. New practices will provide on-site amenities so people have better options than driving their car by themselves, such as car sharing and shuttle services. Find out more.

Representatives from the City and County of San Francisco will be presenting this information to BOMA San Francisco's Government Affairs Committee on November 4th. If you are interested in attending, please email johnb@boma.com for the meeting details.